Comments on: The Philip Morris Scam to destroy anti smoking groups Part 1 http://grizzlygroundswell.com/2009/11/29/the-philip-morris-scam-to-destroy-anti-smoking-groups-part-1/ Uniting Conservative Thought, Voice and Image across this Blessed Nation. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:24:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: uberVU - social comments http://grizzlygroundswell.com/2009/11/29/the-philip-morris-scam-to-destroy-anti-smoking-groups-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-164 uberVU - social comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:02:59 +0000 http://grizzlygroundswell.com/?p=498#comment-164 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by ChadTEverson: The Philip Morris Scam to destroy anti smoking groups Part 1 | Grizzly Groundswell http://ow.ly/HaWB #Grizzly Where do you Stand?... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by ChadTEverson: The Philip Morris Scam to destroy anti smoking groups Part 1 | Grizzly Groundswell http://ow.ly/HaWB #Grizzly Where do you Stand?…

]]> By: Josh Slavitt http://grizzlygroundswell.com/2009/11/29/the-philip-morris-scam-to-destroy-anti-smoking-groups-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Josh Slavitt Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:20:23 +0000 http://grizzlygroundswell.com/?p=498#comment-161 Let me add to my prior blog post. Why is it that if you are a researcher looking for a cure for a virus, cancer, diabetes, or any of a host of other major issues affecting the public health domestically or internationally, it can take months or even years to get minimal grant dollars. Yet, if you write a policy piece on why tobacco taxes should be increased or why tobacco advertising should be banned, you can get a grant from federal and state agencies and the pharmaceutical industry over night? It's because the federal government, state governments and the pharmaceutical industry and their allies in the public health charitable community have billions of dollars to spend annually on tobacco control. Is tobacco consumption a problem in this country and others -- no question. But, the issue is skewed because pharmaceutical companies can make billions of dollars annually selling smoking cessation devices -- the patch, gum, inhalents, pills -- that cost consumers a fortune (ever spend money on the patch? It's not cheap). So there's a lot of money to be made over this issue and not all of it necessarily has the health of the public in mind, but is more focused on the bottom line of other ocmpanies who are themselves lobbying behind the scenes to whip up negativity around smoking and tobacco products. Here's another statistic: I've been smoking for over 25 years. All of my family members smoke or smoked. NOT ONE died from a smoking related disease. Some died of Altzheimers at 85-90+ years. Others died from Diabetes, which is an incredibly degenerative disease. Others died from poor diets and being overweight. Every year the public health community throws this number of 500,000+ deaths a year, just in the U.S., related to smoking. But they cannot justify or prove the number. It's a statistical lie. Is smoking bad for you? Yes. Should it be kept out of the hands of minors? Absolutely. Should its use be regulated so that nonsmokers, especially young children, are not exposed to it? Of course. But who suddenly gave the public health community the right to tell me what I can do with my life, so long as I am not inflicting my choices on others? If I want to pay $8/pack to smoke (and fund highways, state infrastructure, legislative salaries and public health programs with the taxes that are generated), that's still my choice because the product is STILL LEGAL. You want to make it illegal? Great. So just like the 55mph speed limit, overnight, people are going to become criminals -- how many people actually obey speed limits despite the number of tickets being handed out? Because people will still find ways to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products. Want to support organized crime, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda? Then create a massive black market in tobacco products, just like creating a massive black market in alcohol resulted from prohibition. Just like we can't stop the sale of ILLEGAL drugs now... Let's put some rational thought into this debate and stop dredging up the past. Let me add to my prior blog post. Why is it that if you are a researcher looking for a cure for a virus, cancer, diabetes, or any of a host of other major issues affecting the public health domestically or internationally, it can take months or even years to get minimal grant dollars. Yet, if you write a policy piece on why tobacco taxes should be increased or why tobacco advertising should be banned, you can get a grant from federal and state agencies and the pharmaceutical industry over night? It’s because the federal government, state governments and the pharmaceutical industry and their allies in the public health charitable community have billions of dollars to spend annually on tobacco control. Is tobacco consumption a problem in this country and others — no question. But, the issue is skewed because pharmaceutical companies can make billions of dollars annually selling smoking cessation devices — the patch, gum, inhalents, pills — that cost consumers a fortune (ever spend money on the patch? It’s not cheap). So there’s a lot of money to be made over this issue and not all of it necessarily has the health of the public in mind, but is more focused on the bottom line of other ocmpanies who are themselves lobbying behind the scenes to whip up negativity around smoking and tobacco products. Here’s another statistic: I’ve been smoking for over 25 years. All of my family members smoke or smoked. NOT ONE died from a smoking related disease. Some died of Altzheimers at 85-90+ years. Others died from Diabetes, which is an incredibly degenerative disease. Others died from poor diets and being overweight. Every year the public health community throws this number of 500,000+ deaths a year, just in the U.S., related to smoking. But they cannot justify or prove the number. It’s a statistical lie. Is smoking bad for you? Yes. Should it be kept out of the hands of minors? Absolutely. Should its use be regulated so that nonsmokers, especially young children, are not exposed to it? Of course. But who suddenly gave the public health community the right to tell me what I can do with my life, so long as I am not inflicting my choices on others? If I want to pay $8/pack to smoke (and fund highways, state infrastructure, legislative salaries and public health programs with the taxes that are generated), that’s still my choice because the product is STILL LEGAL. You want to make it illegal? Great. So just like the 55mph speed limit, overnight, people are going to become criminals — how many people actually obey speed limits despite the number of tickets being handed out? Because people will still find ways to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products. Want to support organized crime, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda? Then create a massive black market in tobacco products, just like creating a massive black market in alcohol resulted from prohibition. Just like we can’t stop the sale of ILLEGAL drugs now… Let’s put some rational thought into this debate and stop dredging up the past.

]]> By: Joshua Slavitt http://grizzlygroundswell.com/2009/11/29/the-philip-morris-scam-to-destroy-anti-smoking-groups-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-159 Joshua Slavitt Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:12:47 +0000 http://grizzlygroundswell.com/?p=498#comment-159 This is the so-called anti-christ referenced in this blog. The materials you reference are over 13 years old. I have not worked for PM since 2006 and the program you mention took place for 1 year between 1996 and 1997 and was terminated for two reasons: 1) it was deemed to be wrong to publicly criticize the public heath community on an issue they believed in so strongly and 2) it was rendered moot by the Master Settlement Agreement. So your blog post is inaccurate in a number of instances. By the way, PM was the only company to support regulation of tobacco products by the FDA, launched the We Card Initiative and has worked closely with states and retailers to keep cigarettes away from minors. PM also cannot advertise on billboards - MSA provision - and has significantly cut its magazine advertising - just name the last magazine you've seen with a PM product ad in it. Cigarettes are STILL LEGAL, a fact that the Public Health community ignores. If you all were so determined to make cigarettes go away then support laws to make them illegal and let's have a public national debate on whether federal or state government should have the ability to have this responsibility. In the mean time, get you facts right. I am not a spokesperson for PM or any other tobacco company but I am tired of seeing my name and my writing taken out of context. Lying will not achieve you goals. This is the so-called anti-christ referenced in this blog. The materials you reference are over 13 years old. I have not worked for PM since 2006 and the program you mention took place for 1 year between 1996 and 1997 and was terminated for two reasons: 1) it was deemed to be wrong to publicly criticize the public heath community on an issue they believed in so strongly and 2) it was rendered moot by the Master Settlement Agreement. So your blog post is inaccurate in a number of instances. By the way, PM was the only company to support regulation of tobacco products by the FDA, launched the We Card Initiative and has worked closely with states and retailers to keep cigarettes away from minors. PM also cannot advertise on billboards – MSA provision – and has significantly cut its magazine advertising – just name the last magazine you’ve seen with a PM product ad in it. Cigarettes are STILL LEGAL, a fact that the Public Health community ignores. If you all were so determined to make cigarettes go away then support laws to make them illegal and let’s have a public national debate on whether federal or state government should have the ability to have this responsibility. In the mean time, get you facts right. I am not a spokesperson for PM or any other tobacco company but I am tired of seeing my name and my writing taken out of context. Lying will not achieve you goals.

]]> By: The Philip Morris Scam to destroy anti smoking groups Part 1 … - Health Articles A to Z http://grizzlygroundswell.com/2009/11/29/the-philip-morris-scam-to-destroy-anti-smoking-groups-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-157 The Philip Morris Scam to destroy anti smoking groups Part 1 … - Health Articles A to Z Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:21:17 +0000 http://grizzlygroundswell.com/?p=498#comment-157 [...] More:  The Philip Morris Scam to fall short anti smoking groups Part 1 … [...] [...] More:  The Philip Morris Scam to fall short anti smoking groups Part 1 … [...]

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